What does it take to be heard?
The 2019-2020 legislative session ended this week with a hurried vote on a budget. Many bills of importance to the people of Pennsylvania never received a hearing in committee and never got a vote.
Updates
Fair Districts PA provides timely updates to keep supporters and the press up to date. To find out what the press is reporting check out our “Media Highlights page”.
Vote on SB 1242
On September 22, the Senate State Government Committee reported SB 1242 from committee. This is an important step forward for the Legislative and Congressional Redistricting Act, LACRA, introduced in the senate by Senator Tom Killion.
Unaccountable and Amazingly Tone-deaf
If you were watching for evidence that the PA House and Senate are listening to voters, you now know you were waiting in vain. After weeks of lofty language about elevating the voices of voters and listening to the people, our legislative leaders proved beyond a tiny shadow of a doubt that partisan games are still the order of the day.
Legislative and Congressional Redistricting Act
Representative Wendi Thomas has introduced House Bill 2638, the Legislative and Congressional Redistricting Act, designed to increase transparency and public engagement and provide clear, measurable map-drawing criteria.
One Last Chance for a Vote
The PA House and Senate seemed to recess weeks ago but have since been adding session days and committee meetings to push a mix of bills. This week they’ll be voting on several constitutional amendments, which opens the window to adding our bills as amendments to those amendments.
The Right of the Governed
The Fourth of July commemorates the abiding right of the governed to alter or abolish any form of government that ignores the people’s voice. That right was enshrined in the Pennsylvania Constitution, which declares that “all power is inherent in the people” who have “at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may think proper.”
Day of Action June 9
Join us for a Day of Action on June 9 to say “Give the bills a vote!”
Winners! Gerry-Explainer Contest
Congratulations to Bob Millman, winner of our Gerry-Explainer video contest!
Gerry-Explainer Video Contest!
Fair Districts PA and the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania invite you to submit a short explainer video as part of the People-Powered Fair Maps initiative.
Be a Census Influencer!
Census Day is April 1, 2020. That’s not the day the census starts, but when you respond to the census, you tell the Census Bureau where you live as of April 1.